Dumping-car.



W. C. GRDON.

DUMPING CAR.

APPLICATION man DEC. 1|. 1911.

Patented /Dec-1(), 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. C. GORDON.

DUMPING CAR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. Il, I9I7.

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WILLETT C. GORDON, 0F HARVEY, ILLINOIS.

DUMPING-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 1o, 191s.

Application led December 11, 1917. Serial No. 206,597.

7 10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLE'rr C. GORDON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harvey, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dumping-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway cars adapted for the transportation ofbulk grain, sand, and similar relatively line material, which is self discharging under a comparatively small angle of flow. Heretofore in actual practice bulk grain has been transported for the most part in box cars, which are objectionable in two respects. In the first place, a large amount of grain is lost by leakage throu h the cracks in the floor and side walls. n the second place, such cars can be unloaded only by manual or power shovels, which makes the work of unloading an item of considerable time and expense. A steel tank grain car has also been proposed equipped with hopper bottoms having. valve-controlled discharge outlets beneath the platform of the car. While this construction avoids tlie leakage of the box car through cracks in the structure, it is nevertheless subject to loss of grain in case the 'valves of the hopper `bott-oms get out of-order or are accidentally opened.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved railway car of this character, more especially designed for the transportation of grain and similar fine material in bulk which shall be absolutely proof against leakage. Another object yof the invention is to provide such a. car which shall have a common opening for the reception and discharge of the contents and shall be capable of being turned on its longitudinal axis between the loading position, in which the opening is on top, and the discharge position in which the opening overhangs the side of the car platform, permitting the contents to run out. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art as the inventionis better understood by reference to the following detail description and the accompanying drawings', wherein- A Figure 1 is a side elevation of my irnproved car;

Fig. 2 is an end view asseen from the left of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sections on the corresponding lines of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 showing.

in dotted lines the tank turned to discharge position.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates as an entirety the trucks while the underframe, for the purposes of this invention is preferably of the type having full width -end portions or platforms 6 and an interis Asurrounded by a tapered domeI 12, the

upper end of which is provided with a suitable lid or cover 13 to protect the contents of the tank from the weather. Vithin the tank and extending from substantially the center of each end wall 10 to opposite sides of the opening 11 at the base of the dome 12 are inclined walls 14 that, in the upright position of the tank, unitedly have the form of an inverted hopper.

The tank is securely held down in the cradles by means of straps 15 that extend thereover and are anchored at their ends to the .opposite sides of the underframe 6. Preferably, and as herein shown, turnbuckles 16 are interposed in these straps on each side for tightening purposes.

To secure the tank against.. longitudinal displacement relative to the underframe under shocks of starting and stopping, a depending lug 17 is strongly secured to the ottom of the tank and extends between buffer-blocks 18 secured on and across the center sills 6 of the underframe, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, ample space being provided for clearance of the lug 17 asthe tank is turned on its longitudinal axis.

For effecting the turni-ng of the tank any suitable and convenient means may be prdvided, the means herein shown comprising a winch 19 j ournaled in an upright 2O at one end of the underframe and carrying a spur pinion 21 in mesh with an internal gea-r 22 (Fig. 2) formed onthe end of the tank, for which purpose the end wall 10 is preferably slightly inset as shown. To lock the tank against turning, I provide an arm 23 rigid with the winch 19, through which a pin 24 passes into a hole in the upright 20. By simply withdrawing the pin 24 the winch may be turned to rotate the tank in either direction. A

When the car is to be loaded, it is in the upright position shown in Figs. l and 2 and in full lines-in Fig. 3, and the grain or other material is delivered through a suitable spout into the dome 12, and the car may be filled if desired to the top of the latter. When the car is to be emptied at the elevator or other destination, the pin 24 is withdrawn and the winch manipulated until the tank has been turned to carry the dome 12 to the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 3, whereupon the grain or other material is readily discharged by gravity into the elevator conveyer or other receptacle. When the car is thus emptied, the reverse manipulation of the winch restores it to upright position in conditlon for reloading.

It is believed that the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, will make clear to those familiarwith the art how the stated objects and advantages of the invention are secured. It will be evident that the structure shown and described may be modified in minor details without involving any departure from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any ofthe advantages inhering therein. Hence, I do not limit the invention to the precise details herein disclosed except to the extent clearly indicated in specific claims.

l claim:

l. In a dumping railway car, the combination of a car underframe, a cylindrical tank supported on said underframe with capacity for turning on its longitudinal axis, said tank being of uniform diameter from end to end and having transverse walls and a lateral illing and discharge opening substantially midway between said transverse walls, inclined Walls within said tank eX- .tending from substantially mid-height of said transverse walls to opposite sides of said opening and forming, when the tank is inverted, a hopper bottom, and means for turning said tank.

2. ln a dumping railway car, the combination of a car underframe, a tank supported on said underframe with capacity for turning on its longitudinal axis, said tank being of uniform cross-sectional area from end to end and having transverse end walls and a substantially central dome on its upper side through which the load is received and discharged, and inclined walls within said 'tank extending from substantially mid-heightV of said end Walls to opposite sides of the base of said dome and form- Lasagna ing, when the tank is inverted, a hopper bottom, and means for turning said tank.

3. n a dumping railway car. the combination of a car underframe, cradles mounted lon and transversely of said underframe, a

nation of a car underframe, cradles mounted on and transversely of said underframe, a tank of circular cross-section rotatably snpported entirely in and by said cradles. said tank having a substantially central opening in its top side for receiving and discharging the load, straps extending over said tank and anchored to said under-frame. and means for tightening said straps.

ln a dumping railway car. the combination of a car underframewradles mounted on and transversely of said underframe. a tank rotatably supported entirely in and by said cradles and provided with a substantially central opening in its top side) for receiving and discharging the load, inclined walls extending from end walls of said tank to opposite sides of said opening, and a depending lug. on the lower side of said tank normally abutting against transverse members of said underframe to prevent longitudinal displacement of said tank relative to said undertrame.

6. ln a' dumping' railway car, the combination of .a car underframe, a tank body of circular cross-section rotatably supported on said underframe, said tank body having a. single lateral filling and discharge opening and an inset head at one end, 'an internal gear at said end, a winch mounted on said underframe and carrying a pinion in mesh with said gear, and means for locking said Winch against turning.

7. ln a dumping railway car. the combination of a car underframe. 'a tank body of circular cross-section rotatably supported on said underframe and provided with a substantially central lateral opening, an oblong tapered dome surrounding said opening, in clined walls extending from the ends o said tank body to the base of said dome and forming with the latter a hopper bottom when said tank Abody is rotated to dumping position, and means for turning said tank body on its longitudinal axis.

WLLETT C. GORDON. 

